KUALA LUMPUR: In the lead-up to MCA's party polls, its members and delegates ought to ask leadership aspirants which direction they plan to take the organisation to revive its standing in the community.

Political analyst Wong Chin Huat said MCA as a communal party had suffered because of its perceived subservience to Umno, the biggest partner in the Barisan Nasional coalition.

"The most important quality MCA needs after March 8 in their president is someone who can stand up to Umno. But such a person cannot lead the party unless the entire party — from leaders to rank and file — is willing to survive without largess and patronage," he said, adding that delegates ought to ask the aspirants about their action plan for MCA.

"For example, as most Chinese/urban voters hate red tape and corruption especially in their daily life, is any of the three leaders — Ong (Tee Keat), Chua (Soi Lek), Liow (Tiong Lai) — willing to champion issues such as local elections and freedom of the Information Act?" said Wong when contacted.

He noted that the outlook of the Chinese electorate had incorporated a lot of multi-ethnic elements over the years.

MCA has set March 28 as the polling date for its main body which it hopes would end 18 months of internal strife after the election of Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as party president and deputy president respectively on Oct 18, 2008.

The crisis took a turn for the worse last October after an EGM passed a motion of no confidence in Ong's leadership. Ong did not step down as promised, prompting protests by a faction led by vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

None of the three leaders has declared he would vie for the top post in the upcoming party polls but horse-trading is said to have started. Already whispers are growing louder that Chua and Liow have struck a deal in which they would contest the number one and two posts respectively.

Wong said whoever secured the helm of MCA must realise that the party's popularity had diminished severely among the Chinese voters such that it now trailed DAP, PKR and PAS with only Gerakan behind it in the peninsula.

The tenure for the March 28 poll winners would only be 18 months, before the next polls for the whole party structure is due. However, the party has the power to postpone the next election in 2011 if the country's general election is on the horizon.